Upon returning home, it can go directly into the laundry, and the alternate giraffe will be there to take its place.

Elmer's laundry tip: Pay a little extra ($50 - $100) to get a washer that has an NSF compliant sanitation cycle. It works like a dishwasher, in that there's a booster heater that raises the water temperature high enough to kill many nasty things that a regular washer can't.

It's also worth getting a washer with a higher extraction speed; you won't necessarily need a dryer at all!